The invention relates to a process for producing guide bands from deformable material for flight-stabilized projectiles, which guide bands are adapted to slide through the gunbarrel of a gun. The guide band of the invention is arranged in a guide band groove and is suitable for use in flight-stablized projectiles being propelled through smooth and drawn gun barrels.
The flight-stabilized projectile of this type, having guide bands adapted to slide through the gun barrel are, for example, described in German published patent application No. 2551389. The design of these known projectiles serves to reduce as much as possible the spin of the projectile, so that the projectile reaches its target with the optimal possible penetration force. It has been ascertained in practice that the use of such guide bands is accompanied with a problem, namely that the guide band must be manufactured with high precision, which applies also to the guide band groove as well as the guide band proper.
Attempts have been made to make guide bands of unitary construction, which are inserted into the guide band groove of the projectile. It is also necessary for this purpose, to split the projectile body in the region of the guide band groove, so that the guide band can be inserted in the groove prior to the joining together of the split projectile halves.
In German published patent application No. 2551389 there is disclosed a projectile arrangement, in which a projectile body of unitary construction is used. However, the guide band proper consists of several segments, which are held together by means of a transport safety mechanism. The transport safety mechanism can be constructed in different ways, for example, as a separate ring or as the cartridge housing mount of a cartridge, or also by using a sliding sleeve in which the segments of the guide band are disposed and held. The guide band itself consists of sintered metal.
Despite the fact that this known arrangement has been found occasionally satisfactory, because the guide band, consisting of a number of segments, is released and can fall to the ground after the projectile has left the muzzle of the gun barrel, nevertheless there continues to exist a need to use a guide band of unitary construction, in order to avoid in this way the necessity of manufacturing individual segments for guide bands and thereby simplifying the manufacturing process.